Variation in the protein profile of the allergenic pollen of datura metel with different stages of maturity

Pollen of Datura metel has been found to have a role in causing allergy in sensitive patients. The present paper reports the comparative protein profile of the pollen of D. metel at different stages of development. The pollen was collected both before and after anthesis and the change in protein profile and concentration studied for both immature (before anthesis) and mature (after anthesis) stages, as well as in different seasons. There was an increase in the protein concentration during the summer months and in general the protein content in case of immature pollen was found to be greater than that of mature pollen. The SDS-PAGE protein profile showed a total of 20 protein bands designated as d1 to d20 between the molecular weight range of 29 kDa to 205 kDa and two protein bands beyond 205 kDa. There was also a variation in the protein profile between immature and mature pollen with the number of protein bands being more in case of immature pollen.